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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155021">The Itch That Can't be Scratched</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/asherly89/pseuds/asherly89'>asherly89</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Baby Boy [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Play, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Punishment, Spanking, daddy!carlos, little tk!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:13:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/asherly89/pseuds/asherly89</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>TK can't pinpoint what's wrong. It was something that started the moment he woke up. Now he's at Carlos' for the night and can't verbally say what's wrong. daddy!Carlos and little!TK</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Baby Boy [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1929256</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Itch That Can't be Scratched</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>TK had been off all day. There’s something there that he can’t pinpoint. Like an itch under his skin. He felt it when he woke up that morning, then it lasted all day at work. When he got to Carlos’ place for dinner and a quiet evening in, it’s still there. He’s snippy at dinner and he feels like he can’t settle down.</p><p>Carlos suggests a shower and when he hints he wants more than a shower, TK shakes him off saying he wants to shower alone. The look on Carlos' face almost makes TK break and say Carlos can join him, but he doesn’t want Carlos. He just wants to go to sleep and hopefully he’ll feel better later. </p><p>After the shower, TK doesn’t feel better. Actually he feels worse and he doesn’t know why. Moving into the living room he finds Carlos sitting on the couch, sweats and a t-shirt on. He has his glasses on and it makes TK’s heart skip a beat. He forgot how much he loves Carlos in glasses until he saw him in them again.</p><p>“How was your shower?” Carlos asks.</p><p>“Fine,” TK replies. He plops down next to his boyfriend.</p><p>Carlos’ arm comes up and wraps around the man’s shoulders, “You ready to talk?”</p><p>TK shakes his head, “Nothing’s wrong.”</p><p>Carlos sighs. He knows when TK gets into this mood he won’t open up but close Carlos off more, “Okay, if you want to talk I’m here.” He pulls his arm away and goes back to reading his book.</p><p>TK moves to snatch the remote off the coffee table and switches the TV on, so he doesn’t have to talk. He flips through Netflix but doesn’t find anything to watch. He checks Hulu, and HBO, but again nothing is catching his eye.</p><p>He throws the remote down on the couch with a huff. Carlos looks over at him, “You okay?”</p><p>“I don’t know!” TK shouts. He clasps his mouth shut and looks over at Carlos. He never shouts at Carlos. They’ve had their disagreements, but nothing that would be considered shouting.</p><p>Carlos puts his book down on the table in front of him before turning to TK, “If you don’t tell me what’s wrong I can’t help you. Shouting won’t work. You know that.”</p><p>TK’s body starts to shut down. He can’t do this. Not here. He stands up so he can have some space, but Carlos follows him.</p><p>“TK, whatever it is, I’ll help you,” Carlos says pushing on.</p><p>“I...I don’t know what I need!” TK exclaims, “I’ve been off all day. I-I thought it would go away but it didn’t.”</p><p>Carlos takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly before answering, “I can help you. I just need to know what you need. Spanking or time out, first?”</p><p>TK shakes his head, “Please, no punishment Papi. I’m a good boy.”</p><p>That’s the reaction Carlos was looking for. He knew TK needed to get out of his head for a bit and if he can let TK be little maybe after TK can finally talk about what’s going on.</p><p>“You are a good boy, but right now you’re being naughty. And naughty boys get punishments from their papi,” Carlos replies.</p><p>“Please no punishment,” TK whines, “I don’t want a punishment.”</p><p>Carlos shakes his head, “You won’t have one if you talk to me.”</p><p>TK shakes his head, “I don’t know what’s wrong.”</p><p>“Do you think you need some grounding first?” Carlos asks. It’s not unusual to talk to TK about some more of the dom/sub play while in little headspace. They don’t let it turn sexual, but sometimes a spanking helps TK.</p><p>TK sniffs as a tear rolls down his face, “But I’m not a bad boy.”</p><p>Carlos’ hand comes up to wipe at TK’s face and he tilts TK’s head up so they can look at each other, “I know you’re not, but sometimes you need to be grounded. Nothing too harsh. I promise.”</p><p>TK sniffs again before shaking his head. Carlos pulls TK into a loose hug. TK clings, but Carlos doesn’t let him have all the comfort. That comes after.</p><p>Carlos decides for them and moves back over to the couch where he sits in the middle and waits for TK to come over. TK hesitates for a moment before moving over and bending over so he can lay across Carlos’ lap. Carlos adjusts the man in his lap until he’s in the position he wants him in.</p><p>“I want you to count. If it gets too much just say your safe word and I’ll stop. No questions asked. Understand?” Carlos explains, “Now tell me why you’re being spanked.”</p><p>TK sighs, “I was bad. I shouted at Papi.”</p><p>“And?”</p><p>“And I should use my nice words.”</p><p>“Good boy,” Carlos replies and doesn’t give any warning before his hand comes down on TK’s covered ass.</p><p>TK grunts from the force and says, “One.”</p><p>Carlos hits TK’s ass with no rhythm. He hits the right, then middle, then left, back to middle, and once at the back of thighs. At ten he pulls TK’s waistband down to bare his ass. It’s only a little red since the sweats were covering him. TK squirms and Carlos’ free arm moves to lay across his back keeping him in place.</p><p>“You’re doing so well, baby. Only a few more to go,” Carlos says.</p><p>Carlos’ hand comes up and smacks down on the bare skin and TK flinches but doesn’t miss the count.</p><p>At fifteen TK’s sniffing. The hits are harder now that his sweats aren’t covering him. A few tears have leaked from his eyes and his nose is starting to clog because he’s trying hard not to cry.</p><p>Nineteen and TK’s eyes can’t stop leaking. His nose isn’t much better.  Carlos rubs his bare skin making the sting worse.</p><p>“Only one more, are you okay?” Carlos asks.</p><p>“Yes, papi,” TK whispers.</p><p>The last smack is hard. It hurts enough that TK yelps. Carlos rubs at the redden skin and TK tries to move away from the hand but it’s no use. Carlos doesn’t let him move. He has to take it.</p><p>TK doesn’t know when his pants are pulled up but Carlos maneuvers him so he’s sitting down on the couch. His ass hurts and he tries to not put too much pressure on himself when he sits.</p><p>“Do you know why I spanked you?” Carlos asks.</p><p>TK wipes at his eyes and nods, “I shouted at you. I’m not supposed to shout.”</p><p>“And why did you shout?” Carlos asks.</p><p>“B-because I...I don’t know,” TK cries and a fresh set of tears start to fall.</p><p>Carlos pulls him close and lets TK cuddle into him. TK’s tears get Carlos’ shirt wet but he doesn’t say anything.</p><p>When TK calms down enough, Carlos pushes him up so they’re sitting again, “I want you to have a time out.” TK starts to protest but Carlos shushes him, “You’re going to time out so you can think about what you want to do. It’s only ten minutes. After that we’ll talk.”</p><p>TK sniffs but nods in agreement. He moves from his spot on the couch and into the bedroom, where they keep the step stool they use for timeouts. TK takes it out and places it against the wall. He hates that his back is turned to the door and he can’t see anything. The step stool is hard underneath him and he whines when he sits down.</p><p>He wraps his arms around himself to make himself smaller. He doesn’t even know if Carlos had started the timer yet. But he assumes he has. He waits, listening for any movement in the house, but it’s quiet. He hates the quiet. It doesn’t help with his mood either. The spanking had helped him feel grounded, but the time out is pulling him out of it again.</p><p>TK shifts on his seat and hisses from the pain. He can’t get comfortable. He tries to place his weight so he doesn’t put too much pressure on his ass but the hard surface proves to be little help.</p><p>Another minute and his eyes are starting to tear up. He’s sure Papi must’ve forgotten him. It’s been ages and he can’t hear anything. Not even Papi moving around in the living room. He tries to turn his head to see if he can figure out how much longer he has, but the tears cloud his eyes and he has to wipe at them to clear his vision.</p><p>TK’s starts to sob. It’s ugly crying at its finest. His face is a mess with tears and snot. His body hurts and he slightly rocks himself. He feels like the time out will never end and it’s been way longer than the ten minutes Papi said it would be. Papi forgot about him.</p><p>TK cries out, “Papi!”</p><p>And he doesn’t hear his Papi’s reply or his footsteps but when he feels arms move around him he buries himself into the solid chest. He sobs come quick and he’s gasping for air. Papi’s hand rubs down his back and the other tangles in his hair.</p><p>“Shh, baby, I’m right here,” Papi whispers into his ear, “I’m right here. You did so good. Such a good boy. First a spanking then time out. I know you didn’t like it, but you needed it.”</p><p>TK clings to the man. He moves so his legs wrap around his papi’s waist and he can sit in his lap.</p><p>“P-papi, I-I-I thought y-you were g-gone,” TK says through his sobbing.</p><p>“No, baby. I wouldn’t leave you alone. You know that,” Papi replies, “I was only reading in the living room.”</p><p>TK sniffles, “B-but I didn’t h-hear anyth-thing.”</p><p>“I was being quiet. Letting you have some quiet time. I know how you get distracted while in time out and I wanted to make sure you did your full time,” Papi answers.</p><p>“I-I was so scared,” TK whispers.</p><p>“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t know,” Papi replies, “I’m so sorry.”</p><p>TK wipes at his face with his hand and it comes back with tears and snot. He looks at his hand in disgust.</p><p>Papi laughs and pulls a tissue from his pocket and gives it to TK. TK doesn’t question why Papi has a tissue in his pocket, he just takes it and wipes his hand with it. They stay cuddled together until TK pulls away, “I...I should wash my hands and face.”</p><p>And like that he’s back from his little headspace and adult TK again. Carlos doesn’t question it. It happens sometimes.</p><p>Carlos nods, “Take your time. I’ll be waiting for you here.”</p><p>TK unwraps himself from around his boyfriend and moves to stand. His knees crack and he lets out a sigh. He stretches as he makes his way to the bathroom. In the bathroom he takes his time washing his hands and face. He’s still red from the crying but at least the tears and snot are gone. He quickly brushes his teeth as well then makes his way back to the bedroom.</p><p>The stepstool is gone from its spot and Carlos is sitting in bed, waiting for him. TK climbs into bed with Carlos and cuddles into his side. Carlos wraps his arms around the man and holds him tight.</p><p>“I woke up feeling off today,” TK says, “I don’t know why.”</p><p>Carlos kisses the top of his head, “I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t be. It’s not your fault,” TK replies, “I just...I didn’t know how to handle it. Work didn’t help. It was like I had an itch I couldn’t scratch no matter what I did.”</p><p>Carlos pulls TK on top of him so TK is laying fully on him. His arms wrap around the man and he brushes his cheek against the top of TK’s head, “I love you. You don’t have to go through it alone. Even if it’s just laying down and not talking, I will be here for you.”</p><p>TK’s eyes get a little teary. He’s not used to his boyfriends caring enough about his emotions to help him. He wipes at his nose when he sniffs. He doesn’t want to cry again.</p><p>Carlos hums a tune and TK’s breathing evens out. His body goes lax and Carlos gently moves him off and onto the bed. TK whines and grabs blindly for Carlos. Carlos soothes him by running this thumb over his brown until he settles again. Carlos takes his glasses off and places them on the nightstand before turning and taking TK in his arms again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you to everyone's who's been reading this series. When I started I didn't know I would be able to write so much. Thank you to everyone who's been commenting their ideas (or sending them privately), without you I don't think this series would be as big as it is today.</p><p>If there's anything you want to see let me know! You can comment here or even send me an anon message on <a href="https://shameless-aquarius.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a></p><p>And if you didn't see I have a new series within the series called "Little Extra" which is smaller ficlets.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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